“Oh-eh-oh, Arthur Masuaku. Oh-eh-oh, he’s better than Lukaku! Oh-eh-oh, Arthur Masuaku. Oh-eh-oh, he never gives the ball away!”
If you attended a West Ham United match in December, you will have heard the Claret and Blue Army’s new favourite chant again and again – and chances are it will be stuck in your head well into the New Year!
At the Emirates Stadium, the 7,000 Hammers’ fans made up for the disappointment of losing a Carabao Cup quarter-final by singing the song – to the tune of Earth, Wind & Fire’s 1971 hit September – virtually non-stop from 30 minutes before kick-off until the final whistle was blown.
Masuaku himself appreciates the supporters singing in tribute to him and is aiming to repay their choral backing in 2018.
“I can hear it all the time!” said the left wing-back. “At the beginning of the game against Bournemouth, they were singing it, and then again during the game, so I appreciate that. I understand the song and I love the words and hope they can be true!
“I can feel the crowd when I get the ball. As soon as I have the ball, they expect something from me. It’s a good feeling.
“It’s important for me to have this relationship with the fans because it means they like me and want something from me. Not many players are lucky enough to have this, so I’d like to thank them.”
I can feel the crowd when I get the ball. As soon as I have the ball, they expect something from me. It’s a good feeling
Arthur Masuaku
Masuaku’s attraction comes from the freedom with which he plays, collecting the ball in tight areas, anywhere on the pitch, before dribbling and driving forward at speed and delivering dangerous crosses into the opposition penalty area.
The 24-year-old’s style is a throwback to the days when football was less functional, less focused on results and more on wide players expressing themselves whenever they got the opportunity.
It all stems from his formative years in the northern French city of Lille, where his first instinct during playground matches was to collect the ball and run at the opposition. Fifteen years on, that same approach is now terrorising Premier League defences.
“I play with joy because football is just a game. When I was younger, I played without any pressure. I was just happy to touch the ball and dribble and all this stuff. Nothing has changed for me. For me, I take football just like a game and try to have fun and that’s it.
“When I was at school I was lucky that I was always the first pick! There was one other guy in my class who was also strong, so they didn’t want me to be on the same team as him. We had to be the captains and choose the rest of the guys!
“I was a forward when I was younger and I just used to love having the ball at my feet. I used to say ‘The ball is my baby’ and as soon as I touched the ball I felt good.”
David Moyes, who has described Masuaku as ‘a little bit special’, has deployed the No26 in a more advanced role, with Aaron Cresswell playing behind him as a left centre-half. The combination has, in the most part, worked well.
“It’s a different position and I feel good in it. I can go forward and Cress is behind me, covering me, so I don’t have to think so much about the space behind, which is good.
“When I get the ball, I go forward because we need to score. I don’t play to go back. This is how I play and my mentality on the pitch.
“I use my pace and power to go forward. The manager told me just to play my football and he’s given me confidence, so I’m trying to give him back on the pitch.”
Masuaku has two Premier League assists to his name already this season, plus a memorable Carabao Cup goal against Bolton Wanderers in September, while he has also been involved in three goals in recent matches – his cross led to Marko Arnautovic’s second at Bournemouth, he won the corner which Andre Ayew converted against Newcastle and sent Manuel Lanzini away to win a penalty at Stoke.
The Frenchman wants to contribute even more, though…
“I’m feeling good. I’ll always try to do my best and I’m doing quite well at the moment, but I’d rather we were winning matches, so hopefully I can stay in good form and help win some games for the team, because we need it.
“I always knew what I was capable of. Last season I was injured and frustrated. Now, I am fit and playing like I was playing in Olympiacos. Maybe people are surprised, but I’m not surprised!
“There is room for improvement, though. I would say I need to keep going and get more assists and goals. As I can go forward, I need to be able to be more important for the team and score more.”
If Arthur Masuaku meets those targets, the chances are we will be hearing plenty more choruses of a certain song, too!